Great Hunter

Chester-bred colt Great Hunter was made the 9-5 second choice and will start from the No. 7 post position in Saturday's Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland. Street Sense, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner, was made the 4-5 favorite in the seven-horse field for the 1 1/8-mile race to be run on the Polytrack surface for the first time. Great Hunter, winner of the March 3 Robert B. Lewis at Santa Anita in his only start this year, will be ridden by Corey Nakatani. "Not bad to draw the lucky number seven; and to be able to load last is always a positive," trainer Doug O'Neill said.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Almost as if it were choreographed, the two Pennsylvania-breds hit the track simultaneously on a perfectly glorious spring morning. At 8:30, Hard Spun, emerging from Barn 41, and then Great Hunter from Barn 28 came out of contiguous backstretch gaps, were sent the wrong way around the first turn at Churchill Downs and then ducked into the paddock to get familiar with what will be a tumultuous scene Saturday as 20 horses get saddled for the Kentucky Derby. Great Hunter was back out to the track quickly, Hard Spun lingered in the paddock.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - It's possible that in another day, Edgar Prado won't be identified simply as Barbaro's jockey. "Every time you come to the Derby, it's a new hope and a dream," Prado said yesterday on his way to the jockeys' room at Churchill Downs after a race. "You hope that on Sunday, you awaken and find out you have something special. " Today's 133d Kentucky Derby features two horses, Hard Spun and Great Hunter, who were born on Chester County farms. The winningest trainer in the game has five horses trying to get him his first Derby triumph.

I LOST COUNT QUITE a while ago of how many times I have been asked in the last few months: "Is there a Philly horse for the Derby?" My answer has been and continues to be, not really. But if you want to adopt Great Hunter, Hard Spun or Chelokee (if the horse actually makes the race), be my guest. There is a connection, just not the incredible connection we have had the last three springs. Smarty Jones was the ultimate Philly horse - born in Chester County, stabled at Philadelphia Park (where he won his first two races)

Nobiz Like Shobiz showed improved focus with the addition of blinkers to capture the Wood Memorial on Saturday at Aqueduct. Cowtown Cat bested the Illinois Derby field for trainer Todd Pletcher. Merv Griffin's favored Cobalt Blue likely raced himself out of the Kentucky Derby with a bad showing in Chicago. Tiago, a half-brother of 2005 Kentucky Derby shocker Giacomo, played the spoiler's role to take the Santa Anita Derby and pay $60.60. Tiago is trained by John Shirreffs and was ridden by Mike Smith.

After finishing second in the Kentucky Derby and third in the Preakness Stakes, Hard Spun still is being pointed toward the June 9 Belmont Stakes - but he'll have a different jockey. Hard Spun's owner, Rick Porter of Wilmington, announced yesterday that Mario Pino would be replaced by Garrett Gomez if the Chester County-bred colt goes in the Belmont. Pino was hailed for a flawless Derby ride, but Porter criticized Pino's Preakness ride, suggesting that Hard Spun had moved too early in that race.

Steffi Graf required three stitches to her lip yesterday after husband Andre Agassi inadvertently hit her in the face with his racket during a fund- raiser that followed the final of the U.S. Clay Court Championships in Houston. Graf and Agassi were holding hands while hitting balls with a couple of youngsters when Agassi's follow-through struck his wife in the face. Graf suffered no damage to her teeth, officials said. In the tournament final, unseeded Ivo Karlovic of Croatia captured his first title when he beat qualifier Mariano Zabaleta, 6-4, 6-1, in Houston.

The Grade I $750,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct takes center stage Saturday as two big hitters make their final prep for the May 5 Kentucky Derby. Todd Pletcher's Circular Quay and Barclay Tagg's Nobiz Like Shobiz head the field for the 11/8-mile race (live on ESPN, same-day replays on ntra.com). "I can't do much more now except get out there and ride him myself," said Tagg. "He's done everything I've asked. " Pletcher also has Cowtown Cat in Saturday's Grade II $500,000 Illinois Derby at Hawthorne.

After finishing second in the Kentucky Derby and third in the Preakness Stakes, Hard Spun still is being pointed toward the June 9 Belmont Stakes - but he'll have a different jockey. Hard Spun's owner, Rick Porter of Wilmington, announced yesterday that Mario Pino would be replaced by Garrett Gomez if the Chester County-bred colt goes in the Belmont. Pino was hailed for a flawless Derby ride, but Porter criticized Pino's Preakness ride, suggesting that Hard Spun had moved too early in that race.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Several things that have not happened before, and a few that happen only rarely, came to pass in the 133d running of the Kentucky Derby yesterday, but in the end the most logical outcome of all carried the day - the best horse won. Street Sense, the winner of last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile and a steady performer that had never finished out of the money in his seven previous races, bored a hole along the rail and came from far...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - It's possible that in another day, Edgar Prado won't be identified simply as Barbaro's jockey. "Every time you come to the Derby, it's a new hope and a dream," Prado said yesterday on his way to the jockeys' room at Churchill Downs after a race. "You hope that on Sunday, you awaken and find out you have something special. " Today's 133d Kentucky Derby features two horses, Hard Spun and Great Hunter, who were born on Chester County farms. The winningest trainer in the game has five horses trying to get him his first Derby triumph.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Almost as if it were choreographed, the two Pennsylvania-breds hit the track simultaneously on a perfectly glorious spring morning. At 8:30, Hard Spun, emerging from Barn 41, and then Great Hunter from Barn 28 came out of contiguous backstretch gaps, were sent the wrong way around the first turn at Churchill Downs and then ducked into the paddock to get familiar with what will be a tumultuous scene Saturday as 20 horses get saddled for the Kentucky Derby. Great Hunter was back out to the track quickly, Hard Spun lingered in the paddock.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - There will be no blaming the post-position draw if Hard Spun gets into trouble in Saturday's 133d Kentucky Derby. Last night, the Chester County-bred 3-year-old, owned by Wilmington's Rick Porter, drew a perfect spot, the No. 8 gate in the 20-horse field, the same position where 2006 winner Barbaro began. Undefeated Curlin, the smashing Arkansas Derby winner, was made the 7-2 morning-line favorite, although he'll start far inside, from the No. 2 gate, and is trying to win in just the fourth race of his life.

With just four days remaining until the most famous horse race in the world, the buzz yesterday was about local hopeful Hard Spun's rapid five-furlong workout at Churchill Downs. The son of top sire Danzig was clocked in 57 3/5 seconds under jockey Mario Pino, dusting off a stakes-winning work mate in the process. If Hard Spun wins the Kentucky Derby, the work will be recalled as terrific. If he loses, it will be attributed to going too fast, too close to the race. Curlin still boasts the most remarkable resume in the 20-horse field, with three wide-margin victories, including a record-setting triumph in the Arkansas Derby.

I LOST COUNT QUITE a while ago of how many times I have been asked in the last few months: "Is there a Philly horse for the Derby?" My answer has been and continues to be, not really. But if you want to adopt Great Hunter, Hard Spun or Chelokee (if the horse actually makes the race), be my guest. There is a connection, just not the incredible connection we have had the last three springs. Smarty Jones was the ultimate Philly horse - born in Chester County, stabled at Philadelphia Park (where he won his first two races)

Steffi Graf required three stitches to her lip yesterday after husband Andre Agassi inadvertently hit her in the face with his racket during a fund- raiser that followed the final of the U.S. Clay Court Championships in Houston. Graf and Agassi were holding hands while hitting balls with a couple of youngsters when Agassi's follow-through struck his wife in the face. Graf suffered no damage to her teeth, officials said. In the tournament final, unseeded Ivo Karlovic of Croatia captured his first title when he beat qualifier Mariano Zabaleta, 6-4, 6-1, in Houston.

When Great Hunter enters the starting gate for tomorrow's Blue Grass Stakes, don't blame Phil Fanning if he ducks out of a wedding that afternoon to view the race. "It's like waiting to see what one of my children is doing," said Fanning, the Chester County breeder of the Kentucky Derby hopeful. Fanning, 83, was born in Philadelphia and raised in West Orange, N.J., where his lifelong love of horses began. He lives now in Unionville. "They'd deliver milk on wagons drawn by horses, and I'd go out to see them all the time as a child," he said.

Chester-bred colt Great Hunter was made the 9-5 second choice and will start from the No. 7 post position in Saturday's Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland. Street Sense, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner, was made the 4-5 favorite in the seven-horse field for the 1 1/8-mile race to be run on the Polytrack surface for the first time. Great Hunter, winner of the March 3 Robert B. Lewis at Santa Anita in his only start this year, will be ridden by Corey Nakatani. "Not bad to draw the lucky number seven; and to be able to load last is always a positive," trainer Doug O'Neill said.